


Frost Fairs and Fireside Friendship

by em_gray



Category: The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue Series - Mackenzi Lee
Genre: Childhood Friends, Fluff, Gen, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Period-Typical Homophobia, for romeo and juliet references asdgsgsd, it's really just 3k of wholesome winter content tbh, with just a hint of angst for seasoning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-13 06:14:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28773672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/em_gray/pseuds/em_gray
Summary: Seven year old Monty and Percy sneak out to the frost fair.
Relationships: Henry "Monty" Montague & Percy Newton
Comments: 8
Kudos: 6
Collections: TGGTVAV Secret Santa exchange 2020





	Frost Fairs and Fireside Friendship

**Author's Note:**

  * For [HeleneInTheClouds](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeleneInTheClouds/gifts).



> Hi! This is a back-up gift for the Secret Santa exchange I hosted. This fic is based on the outline @River_Grace provided.

“I don’t think this is a good idea, Monty.”

“It was your idea!”

“I was kidding!”

“Shh, it’ll be fine.”

“We probably won’t even find–”

“Look, there it is!”

Monty points ahead, and now Percy sees it too: a few dozen market stalls set up on the frozen river, and it’s absolutely crowded. People run and skate around, examine wares, talk and sing and huddle around the bright fires. The flames reflect in the thick layer of ice. Music drifts up from between the stalls.

“See?” Monty says, sounding smug. “I told you.”

Percy’s not listening to Monty. He’s focused on something else. “I think I hear a fiddle.”

“Should’ve brought yours.”

“What? No.” Percy laughs, blush creeping up. “I don’t want anyone hearing me. I’m not very good.”

“But you will be. That’s why you’re practicing.”

“Maybe I won’t–”

“Of course you will. One day you’ll be the best violin player in the world and you’ll give big concerts. And maybe one day you’ll play at a frost fair like this one. Now, let’s go!” Monty grabs Percy’s hand and tries to pull him along, but Percy stops on the edge of the riverbank. He stares wide-eyed at the frozen river.

“What if we’ll fall through?” he asks.

“We won’t! See, all those people are on the ice too, and they’re fine.”

“But maybe with us extra on the ice it’ll crack and everyone will fall through–”

Monty takes him by the shoulders. “Percy. It’ll be fine.”

Percy sighs deeply. “My aunt and uncle will be so terribly upset with me.”

“They’re not going to find out.” Monty half-smiles, revealing the dimple in his cheek. He lets his hands slide down to take Percy’s, then, holding his gaze, steps back onto the river. Percy’s eyes widen and he holds his breath.

But nothing happens.

“Told you,” Monty says. “Now come on!”

Percy reluctantly lets himself be pulled onto the ice as well. He finds the river solid under his feet, if a little slippery. He grabs onto Monty’s shoulder not to fall. They both start, and a laugh escapes Percy, and then the two of them start laughing in their giddiness and excitement. They link hands, and, supporting each other, head over to the fair.

It’s _amazing_. There’s so many people around in spite of the late hour, chatting merrily, kids running around and screaming in delight and there is so much to do and to see that it overwhelms Monty.

“I have good ideas sometimes,” Percy says.

Monty nudges him. “I had to drag you here.”

“Can’t remember that.”

Monty huffs. “What do you want to do first?”

“I don’t know!” Percy sounds delighted, his cheeks red with the cold, earlier concerns completely off his mind. “There’s so much! We could go ice skating. Or– oh, there’s a puppet show! We have to go watch. Or maybe we could–” He cuts himself off, then smiles apologetically. “What do you want to do?”

“Know what,” Monty says. “I know how we’re gonna decide.” At that, he lifts one hand, points in front of him, and closes his eyes.

“What are you doing?” Percy asks, laughter making his voice light.

Monty starts spinning around in place, faster and faster, big grin on his face. Then, he trips over his own feet. He opens his eyes with a gasp, scrambling around for something to hold on to—and as Percy is the only thing within a three feet radius, he drags him down with him.

They hit the ice, but Monty barely feels it through the adrenaline. He isn’t sure if he’s gasping for air or laughing, maybe both, definitely the latter when he sees Percy’s indignant face.

“You did that on purpose!” the boy protests, though he can’t fully push down a smile either.

“Did _not_.” Monty pouts.

“Yes, you did.”

“Did not.”

“Yes, you did.”

“Did _not_.”

“ _Yes, you did!_ ” Percy scoops up a handful of snow and throws it at Monty, who cries out at the sudden cold. Monty scrambles to his feet, almost slipping again, and again and again as he makes a run for it. He knows Percy is right behind him, knows it by the way his laugh rings in his ears like music, even over the mad beating of his own heart. He runs toward the market stalls, darting through the crowd who all let out surprised yelps. He dodges a couple with a baby, almost trips over a dog, but finally makes it across in one piece. Monty’s about to feel smug, when he feels two arms around his chest and he’s knocked off his feet. They land in a pile of snow.

Percy is the first of them who manages to get out words through their gasping for air. He props himself up on one elbow and leans in close so his hair is brushing Monty’s cheek. “Yes,” he says, pausing to breathe. “You did.”

They lay there for a long time, catching their breath, sides pressed together. They’re well bundled up, but still the cold manages to creep through the backs of their coats. Neither of them moves, though, until Percy’s stomach grumbles.

Monty turns his head. “You hungry?”

Nearby, a stall is selling chicken, roasted above the fire. Now, the smell assaults him too, and he suddenly remembers he missed dinner.

They help each other up, hand in hand to make sure they don’t fall again. They neatly wait in line, Monty tapping his hand against his leg, until it’s their turn. They’re smaller than the table the thing is set up on, so the vendor doesn’t notice them until the lady behind them nods in their direction.

Percy, being the tallest out of the pair by just two inches, stands up on his toes and puts his arms on the counter. “Hello,” he says. “We’d like to buy some drumsticks.”

The vendor frowns down at them. “Where are your parents?”

Monty and Percy exchange a glance.

“They’re over there!” Monty jumps in, pointing in the general direction of a crowd of people, and Percy nods. “They’re busy. So we’re here.”

The vendor gives them a glance. “Come back with your parents.”

“But–”

“Now, out of the way. What can I get you, ma’am?” He’s already addressing the lady behind them, who gives the boys an apologetic look before moving forward. Monty and Percy slink off, defeated.

“That’s not fair!” Monty protests, once they’re a few yards away. “We’re hungry. He should’ve given us something.”

“It’s fine, Monty,” Percy says quietly. “Maybe we should just go home.”

“What? No.” Monty looks around, frowning in thought. “There’s got to be something we can…hmm.” His eyes widen, and he grins. “Okay. All we have to do is wait.”

“What are you planning?” Percy asks in dread, but Monty waves him off.

They wait until the queue at the food stall has disappeared and the vendor has turned away from the booth to smoke. Still, Monty bides his time, until a few kids not much older than they are playing tag run by. Then, he runs up to the stall and yells, “Sir! Sir! Those kids just stole from you!”

Abruptly, the vendor turns around and follows Monty’s pointing to the kids laughing and running away. “Those little–” he hisses between clenched teeth, then, louder, “ _Hey!_ You three! Get back here!”

He chases after them, and Monty immediately dives after the stall and starts stealing drumsticks. Percy joins him in no time, eyes wide in something between shock and delight. “Monty! That’s stealing!”

“Let’s go!” Monty shoves a few in Percy’s hands, then they _bolt_.

They make it to the other side of the fair before slowing down. Percy pulls Monty behind an abandoned cart, peeking around to corner to see if they’ve been followed, but no one is anywhere near.

“I can’t believe you did that!” Percy whispers. His expression shifts from amazed to worried. “We should probably go give it back. Or pay for them at least.” He gasps. “Do you think they’ll still find us?”

“Perce, it’s _fine_ ,” Monty says with a mouthful. “Eat some! They’re delicious.”

Percy looks down at the drumsticks now scattered on the ice between them, brow furrowed. “We’re going to prison.”

Monty chokes on a laugh. “Don’t be silly. It’s not like they’ll find out.”

Hesitantly, Percy sits down and picks up a drumstick. He takes a small bite from it, and his expression changes completely. “Oh, that’s really good!”

“Told you.”

Fifteen minutes they’ve devoured all the drumsticks to the bone. They’re leaning back to the cart side by side, tired but content, trying to toss the leftovers into a circle they’ve drawn into the ice until they grow bored of it.

Monty lets his head fall to the side, resting it on Percy’s shoulder. “What do you wanna do next?”

Percy thinks about that long and hard. “Ice skating?”

“Let go of me!”

“Just one second–”

“We’ll _both_ fall over.”

“I just have to find my balance!”

“You _have_ no balance.”

Monty’s clutching to Percy’s arm, trying to find a way to keep his skates under him, while Percy does everything to pry off Monty’s grip. They’re both red-faced and grinning.

“This was your idea,” Monty says. “Least you can do is help me.”

“You’re just trying to make me fall.”

“Am not.”

Percy sighs, and takes Monty’s arms. “Fine, hold still. I’m gonna teach you how to skate.”

Monty relaxes a little bit, letting his friend steady him. Percy explains to him how to stay upright, how to glide over the ice without falling. After a few minutes, Monty’s standing up on his own, smiling in disbelief.

“Percy!” he yells, though Percy’s right in front of him. “Look! I’m doing it!”

In a moment of confidence, Monty puts one foot forward, and promptly falls over. Percy, traitor that he is, just laughs at him.

Monty pouts as he props himself up on his elbows. “Don’t make fun of me. I stood on my own for a whole minute.”

“That you did.”

“You’re just a bad teacher,” he says, as Percy offers him an arm to help him up. “No wonder I’m so bad at it.”

Percy smiles, and brushes a strand of hair away from where it’s stuck to Monty’s forehead. “You just have to keep trying.”

Fifteen minutes later, Monty’s closing a distance of a few feet toward Percy, brow furrowed in concentration. Percy has his arms lifted, ready to catch Monty when he gets there. Monty almost loses his balance once, but he recovers, and finally he reaches Percy, who hugs him.

“You did it!” Percy says.

Monty huffs. “Of course. You were right before, ice skating isn’t that hard.”

Percy raises an eyebrow in challenge. “Is it?”

He lets go of Monty and skates away, ignoring the “Hey!” that’s called after him. Ten feet further he stops and turns, thinking he’ll watch Monty struggle to cross the distance, but instead finds Monty right behind him. He has too much momentum to stop, so he crashes into Percy and they both hit the ground.

Monty still has his arms clutched around Percy. “Got you.”

Lying down in the middle of the rink doesn’t last very long, as people keep almost tripping over them. They decide to leave. As they take off their skates, Percy notices that Monty is trembling.

“Are you cold?” he asks.

“Just a little.”

Percy takes both Monty’s hands in his and guides him toward one of the fires. It takes them some time to push through the people gathering around, all of them seeking refuge from the cold, but being as small as they are, no one really minds.

The fire is hot and stings on Monty’s hands and face. He shivers. It’s such a sudden contrast with the freezing cold that’s been picking at him all night, and he gets a little sleepy from it.

Someone is shouting something behind them, and carnival music starts up. Monty doesn’t know what it is and he doesn’t really care either, he just wants to stay with the fire and with Percy. But the other people crowding around do turn, and start walking toward the noise. Monty feels himself getting dragged along.

“Percy!” he calls, panicked for a moment because—he can’t be separated from Percy, he doesn’t know what he’d do—but then a warm hand takes his and he sees Percy’s smile.

“I’m right here.”

Together, they follow the masses, pushing through them again when they stop so they can see what’s happening.

“It’s the puppet show!” Percy says.

The people quiet down, and the curtains go open, displaying a little city in wood. Someone behind the scenes clears his throat, and starts narrating. “Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona, where we lay our scene. From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, where civil blood makes civil hands unclean…”

Monty blinks in confusion. That’s a lot of big words. He’s glad when actual puppets take the stage, it’s much easier to follow.

“Look, Monty!” Percy whispers. “His name is Montague too.”

Sleepy as he is from the warmth of the fire, Monty doesn’t find it particularly interesting.

“This looks boring,” he says, louder than he intended, which gets him shushed by the adults standing behind them.

Percy tugs at his hand, and they sit down. “Can we still watch?”

Monty shrugs. He doesn’t feel up to doing much else anyway.

He isn’t sure how much time has passed when he finds himself waking up, slumped against Percy, who has his arm around him. Monty blinks in confusion, and finds the show still going on. The girl puppet (Jenny? Julia?) is crying over the puppet named Montague, the latter lying motionless.

“What’s happening?” Monty asks, and this time he remembers to whisper.

“Romeo is dead,” Percy whispers back. “He killed himself because he thought Juliet died, but she didn’t.”

Monty frowns. “That sounds dumb.”

But he thinks those might be tears in Percy’s eyes, so he shuts up.

Juliet presses her face against Romeo’s, which Monty assumes means they kiss, then she takes out a knife. “Oh, happy dagger,” the puppeteer cries in a high voice, “this is thy sheath.”

She stabs herself, and the crowd _ooh_ s. She collapses on top of Romeo, and the curtains close.

“That was a strange story,” Monty says, as everyone starts to leave.

Percy helps him to his feet. “You slept through all of it.”

“Still. Why’d they die?”

“Because they were in love,” Percy explains, as they walk away. “But they couldn’t be together, because of their families.”

“So they just kill themselves?” Monty huffs. “That’s really dumb. If their families wouldn’t accept it, why didn’t they just run away together? Then they could’ve been happy.”

Percy smiles. “If it were you in that story, it’d have a happy ending?”

“Of course,” Monty replies proudly. “That tale just has the wrong Montague in it.”

Percy laughs. That makes Monty happy, so he does a dramatic swoon onto a pile of snow.

“Oh Juliet!” he calls out. “I love you but I am very dumb! So I’m dead now.”

Percy wipes at his eyes, trying to bite down the grin. He kneels down next to Monty, who’s doing a very convincing portrayal of dying, even if he does say so himself, with his tongue stuck out and everything. “Oh Romeo,” Percy says. “I can’t live without you. Let the poison that killed you kill me as well.” And, without thinking, he leans in to kiss Monty. They’re barely a breath away before they both realize what was about to happen. Monty feels his face go warm, not unlike when he was standing near the fire earlier. Percy quickly recovers and presses a kiss to Monty’s nose instead, which makes him laugh.

They start when behind them, they hear some voices. They jump apart and find a group of older boys staring at them. Monty isn’t sure what to make of their expression and their muttering at each other. Is it disgust? He feels shame sink in, hot and uncomfortable, and he knows it’s because those boys saw their reenactment from a minute ago—or at least, part of it. Monty’s hand is still overtop of Percy’s between them, but Percy pulls away.

Monty finds himself getting angry for a reason he doesn’t understand. He stands up and paces toward the boys—he really is so much smaller than they are—ignores their mockery, and says, arms crossed, the way he’s seen grown-ups do it a lot, “Is there a problem?”

Two or three of them burst out laughing, trying to stifle it behind their hands. The one up front looks amused. “Run along, you little pervert.”

His friend hits him in the arm. “Come on, he’s just a kid.”

“They all are in the beginning.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Monty snaps. He feels someone tugging at his arm. He knows it’s Percy, but he doesn’t turn around.

The group of boys doesn’t answer anymore, just starts walking away, sending glances in their direction and shaking their heads.

“Let’s go home, Monty,” Percy says quietly.

Monty doesn’t look at him, staring after the group. He nods.

Climbing in through Monty’s bedroom window, they find that they’re both soaked to their skins. On their way back it had started snowing, and they’re shivering as they take off their clothes and put on new ones from Monty’s wardrobe. The bed warmer that a servant left has gone cold hours ago, so they pull the sheets over them and cuddle up close.

They haven’t spoken in a while, both too tired, and with his eyes closed, Monty thinks Percy might be asleep. Still, he whispers, “What’d he mean?”

Percy blinks one eye open. “Hm?”

Monty shrugs, gaze cast down, finding eye contact too difficult all of a sudden. “That boy. Why’d he say that?”

Percy swallows. “I don’t know,” he says, but he isn’t that good of a liar.

“...Is it because…?” Monty thinks back. “Because of what we were doing?”

Percy doesn’t reply.

“It was just because of the play,” Monty says. “We weren’t doing anything different than they did. So why did they make fun of us, but lots of people showed up to watch Romeo and Juliet do the same thing?”

Percy shrugs. “I don’t know, Monty. Just ignore them.” Then he lightens his tone. “Besides, I had fun tonight. I’m glad you dragged me out there.”

That makes Monty smile. “I had fun too.”

Percy pulls his friend closer to him, so Monty’s head is to his chest. “Goodnight, Monty,” he whispers.

“Goodnight, Percy.”


End file.
